Implications - Whether playfully referencing selfie culture or advocating for periods of digital detox, brands are increasingly referencing the pervasiveness of web culture in television advertising spots. This strategy reflects back to consumers what is important to them in the evolving digital world, such as finding a place and purpose in the participatory culture of social networking. [More]

Implications - Fashion-focused recruiting campaigns are adopting social media tools for the casting process. In addition to providing labels with the chance to attract fresh, untapped talent, this digital take on hiring is also illustrative of the times as brands seek to involve consumers in a more direct, digital way. [More]

Implications - In teaming up with YouTube influencers, brands are able to leverage these audiences through the creation of sponsored webisodes and other entertaining content. Whether livestreamed or video-on-demand, such partnerships serve as a covert marketing campaign on the part of the brand that seeks to appear accessible. [More]

Implications - Experiential forms of advertising featuring engaging stunts are making a splash in the social media marketing sector. The use of interactive activities in this digital sector resonates with the recent growth of sensory publicity tactics, and as a result, leaves a lasting impression on young consumers. [More]

Implications - The rise of social media has resulted in the social media celebrity. Though there are now talent agencies that solely represent famous YouTubers and bloggers, there are also smaller platforms designed to help users learn how to grow and manage their influence. The realization that people have the potential to co-create, rather than simply consume media, has caused a pragmatic shift in the way they use social networks. [More]

Brands communicate the dangers of online activity through digital means

Implications - The ability to broadcast and share personal information so easily online has brought challenges along with opportunity; specifically, it has opened new, uncharted dangers, both in terms of the way people represent themselves and communicate with others. By referencing Internet phenomenons such as the selfie or emojis, brands are addressing potential harms by speaking the same language as the well-versed digital natives who are most at-risk. [More]

Points programs are integrated into common social networks for youth appeal

Implications - Seeking to connect with Millennial consumers in a more approachable manner, brands are using social platforms to offer perks and discounts. Allowing buyers to collect points and earn rewards through platforms like Twitter and Instagram, brands are seeking to transform typically routine, solo activities into more memorable, social experiences that allow more intimate consumer-brand relationships to take place. [More]

Implications - While curating an online identity remains important to younger consumers, they still delight in the opportunity to engage in anonymous or incognito social networks. This preference not only sets Gen Z apart from the millennial generation that precedes them, it also speaks to a desire for social interaction that offers instant, no-strings-attached gratification. [More]

Implications - Living in an age where a social media presence is considered an asset, and one that can potentially lead to a career, has made Gen Z hyper-conscious of their online identity. No longer a frivolous pastime, collecting likes and followers now has very real-world applications. In short, Gen Z not only prefers social media influencers to celebrities, they also consider raising their own level of influence a worthy pursuit of their time. [More]

Implications - The increasing irregularity of in-person communication stemming from tech tools is intensifying with the outsourcing of social tasks. For digital natives, eliminating the need for one-on-one contact is appealing, as many young people prefer online conversations instead of face-to-face exchanges. [More]